Liposuction & Liposculpting in Boise and Meridian
Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes fat from targeted areas of concern through small, discreet incisions. Liposuction can be performed in the office under mild sedation, or in the operating room under deep sedation or general anesthesia. Liposuction is excellent for patients who are at their goal weight that still have fatty areas that bother them. Common areas that liposuction are performed include the flanks (love handles), the belly (or abdomen), the thighs (or saddle bags), the knees, the chest, and the neck.
Liposculpting is a form of liposuction in which more fat is removed adjacent to your muscles to highlight the contour of the muscle, and give you a more defined, statuesque physique. This operation is an excellent choice for patients who are thin and athletic, but who don’t quite have a six pack and who want to highlight their muscles. This operation will give you an amazing six pack without having to lose so much weight that your face looks gaunt, skin in other areas looks loose and crepey, and your elbow and knees look knobby. Liposculpting requires in-depth knowledge of anatomy, an artistic eye, and meticulous attention to detail. Not many surgeons offer this technique as it is easy to mess up and requires quite a bit of experience. However, for the right patient, this is one of Dr. Poppler’s favorite surgeries as it takes results from good to excellent.
Why Someone Might Want Liposuction?
Human beings are designed to survive in a world of scarcity. Our ancestors had to survive times when food was not readily available. All animals store fat to keep them going when food is not available. In humans we tend to store fat on our lower belly, on our love handles, on the sides of our thighs, and sometimes around our chest. For this reason, even when you are at a very low body fat percentage, it may be impossible to lose fat in these areas.
To have visible abdominal muscles (a six pack) men need to drop their body fat percentage to 6-12% and women need to drop their body fat to 16-20%. Moreover, for a well-defined six pack, you need to be at the lower end of this range. A healthy body fat percentage is 6-17% for men and 14-24% for women. Additionally, as we age, we need a higher percentage body fat to be considered healthy because we naturally lose muscle as we get older. Getting your body fat percentage below 15-20% for men and 20-24% for women can be very difficult because our bodies are not designed to be that thin and many people begin to lose muscle instead of fat if they continue to lose weight. Losing weight also removes fat from places that you want fat, such as your face, and not necessarily from your problem areas. This can result in premature aging of the face, lose, sagging, and wrinkly skin, and knobby knees and elbows. As you can see, most people will never have clearly defined abdominal muscles or an hourglass waistline without significant effort and without causing other parts of their body to look worse. This is where liposuction and liposculpting come in. Liposuction is designed to remove those fat pockets in a targeted matter. Liposculpting takes liposuction to the next level and also removes fat at the borders of muscles to make them more defined.
Do I have to lose weight to have liposuction?
If you are significantly overweight you may not be a good candidate for liposuction and Dr. Poppler may recommend you lose weight prior to surgery so that he can give you a better result and decrease your risks with surgery. Losing weight and reaching your ideal weight does more than just make you look better. It also decreases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and arthritis, as well as decreasing your overall inflammation. As you lose weight, your body will change and your areas of concern will become more apparent. This will allow you to use your money more wisely. It would be a real shame to spend money removing fat from areas that would have lost fat anyways as you lose weight.
Best results are achieved when you are at the weight you intend to stay at. Losing weight before surgery is not helpful if you think you will gain it right back. For this reason, it is best to lose weight before liposuction if you intend to lose weight or if you are significantly overweight, but otherwise you should have surgery when you are at a stable weight you are happy with.
How do I know if I want liposuction or liposculpting?
During your consultation, Dr. Poppler will discuss your goals and will perform a detailed examination. The two of you will look in the mirror together and discuss things you like, and don’t like about your body. Unique features of your body will be noted. Dr. Poppler will discuss the various options with you, and the two of you will decide together the right procedure, or procedures for you.
Generally, if you are fit with some definition of your muscles, you probably want liposculpting. If you are a naturally heavier person looking to fit into clothes better, are bothered by your love handles, or want a more curvy silhouette, you probably do not want liposculpting and would rather have standard liposuction. Artificially creating defined muscles can look odd on heavier people.
How are liposuction and liposculpting different?
Poorly done liposuction can leave visible contour irregularities and lines where fat under the skin was removed. Once created, these contour irregularities and skin changes can be very difficult, or impossible to correct, even with weight gain. To avoid this, during liposuction, well trained, experienced, board-certified plastic surgeons like Dr. Poppler, only remove fat from the deepest layers of fat and stay away from the fat under your skin (subcutaneous fat). This reduces the volume of fat and causes shape changes without disrupting the appearance of the skin and the superficial lymphatic channels.
In liposculpting as in liposuction, fat is broadly removed from the deeper fat layers. Additionally, at the edges of the muscles, fat is also removed from the superficial layer to intentionally create a depression in the skin and artificially highlight the muscles edge. This can really make the muscles pop, giving a much more athletic and statuesque physique without having to drop your body fat percentage to unhealthy levels. Liposculpting requires in-depth knowledge of anatomy, an artistic eye, and meticulous attention to detail. Not many surgeons offer this technique as it is easy to mess up and requires quite a bit of experience. However, for the right patient, this one of Dr. Poppler’s favorite surgeries as it takes results from good to excellent.
What are the most common areas for liposculpting?
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The anterior abdomen
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The chest
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The upper arms
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The knees and anterior thighs
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The calves
What are the most common areas for liposuction?
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The abdomen and love handles (flanks)
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The neck
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The upper arms
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The lateral thighs or saddle bags
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The knees
Where Are the Scars?
Liposuction uses small (less than 1cm) incisions called “ports” that are hidden in natural creases or other scars whenever possible. These generally heal very well and are very discreet. In order to minimize scarring, Dr. Poppler always makes these incisions in line with your bodies natural skin tension lines (Langerhan’s lines). Dr. Poppler will also use as few incisions as possible. However, it is far better to have another small scar and a better result, than a compromised result because of lack of adequate incisions.
How long is recovery after a tummy tuck?
Recovery from liposuciton usually takes about 2-3 weeks. Most patients return to light activities within 1-2 days, and work in 1-2 weeks. Return to most exercise is possible about 1-week after surgery. The hardest part of recovery after liposuction is wearing compression. Tight compression garments are necessary to achieve an excellent result. These minimize swelling and help the skin to tighten. It is usually necessary to wear compression 24 hours per day for the first month after surgery, and for 12 hours per day for the second and third month after surgery. Lymphatic massage after surgery can help to speed the resolution of swelling and may improve results.
Is liposuction safe?
Liposuction is generally very safe when performed on appropriate patients by a board-certified plastic surgeon. Like all surgeries, there are risks such as infection, bleeding, fluid build-up, or scarring. Choosing an experienced surgeon like Dr. Poppler, following his advice to modify any risk factors before surgery, and following aftercare instructions lowers these risks and improves results.
Possible Complications
Like all surgeries, liposuction has risks. The risks are small but are higher in people with certain medical conditions such as smoking, poor nutrition, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, or diseases that require the use of blood thinning medications. Dr. Poppler will carefully review your risk factors with you at your consultation and help you modify these where possible to make your surgery as safe as possible. At Treasure Valley Plastic Surgery, your safety is our number one priority, and all surgical prices include an insurance plan to help pay for care related to any complications.
It is common for people to travel to other states or countries for liposuction. This is not a good idea unless you are certain that the surgeon and facility you are choosing are very well trained and follow the strictest safety standards. Because liposuction does not involve large incisions, identification of anatomic structures, and sewing or repair of structures, patients (and providers) mistakenly think of it as easy, or no big deal. This could not be further from the truth. Even here in the Treasure Valley, there are multiple prominent cosmetic surgery clinics (not owned by board certified plastic surgeons) that employ non-surgeons to perform liposuction. Liposuction is a surgery done by feel, rather than by visualization. It requires an in-depth understanding of the 3D anatomy of the body, and the bodies response to liposuction to be safely performed. Liposuction creates large injuries under the skin that can cause massive fluid shifts and electrolyte shifts. Additionally, the instruments are long hollow tubes that are difficult to clean and require very strict sterilization protocols. Some of the worst complications Dr. Poppler has seen while taking call have been on liposuction patients and were always performed in Idaho by non-qualified providers (nurse practitioners, OB/GYNs, family practice doctors, ER doctors, “board certified cosmetic surgeons”), or by providers in other states and countries. These complications include punctured lungs, punctured liver, punctured bowels, flesh eating bacterial infections, SEPSIS and blood stream infections, mental changes due to electrolyte abnormalities, pulmonary embolism, and strokes. Because of the nature of liposuction surgery, these problems are often impossible to treat, or the treatment can leave patients very severely deformed. Additionally, as the treatment can be difficult and the complications life threatening, treating liposuction complications can be VERY EXPENSIVE and often leaves patients bankrupted. Remember that complications of cosmetic surgery are not covered by standard insurance. That is why we always include an insurance plan for possible complications at Treasure Valley Plastic Surgery. For these reasons, liposuction is not a surgery to take lightly or to go with the “cheap” option.
Possible complications listed from most to least common include:
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Mild asymmetry (difference from one side to the other)
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Mild contour irregularities (areas of hollowness or fullness that stand out)
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Numbness or tingling (resolves over time, but can take many months)
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Scars that may be thick or uneven
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Persistent Swelling
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Infection
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Bleeding
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Fat embolism
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Injury to vital organs
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